by Bella, Sarah
Drake dove in, biting and licking and sucking until the length of her neck matched the first mark, bruised and bitten. Penny moaned and arched beneath him, her breathy noises driving Drake down the short road to crazy. "You're going to need to wear turtlenecks for a while," he laughed, "it looks like someone tried to kill you."
"Don't care." Penny shook her head and tipped her chin again, offering him the other side.
He circled her nipple with a fingertip, lazing lines on heated flesh. "Lesson five is the culmination of the first four lessons Penny. Do you know what that means?"
"I get to come?"
"You do. Lesson five is about learning to use energy positively." He lined his dick up with her entrance and slid inside her in one smooth motion. He hissed in pleasure. "So perfect, Penny."He hitched her legs over his shoulders, hands locked on her thighs, and started a slow, torturous rhythm.
Penny's fingers grasped at the sheets, tangling into tiny fists, gripping them for dear life. Her mouth hung open, head thrown back, back arched off the bed. His movement rocked the bed, slamming the headboard into the wall in a staccato beat known only to sex.
Drake unleashed his Awen, feeling it pour from him. It flew from his fingertips, filling Penny.
"Swallowing it," she ground out.
"Don't swallow it, Penny girl, mold it."
"What?"
"Mold it into the ultimate creation – the finale, Penny girl, your finale."He rocked his hips, punctuating his words, his meaning.
"You want me to create an orgasm?"
"Exactly."He tweaked a nipple.
"And how do I do that?"
"The same way you do everything. You just do."
She grunted. "I just do."Her ankles locked behind his head. "Then you better get to fuckin'."
Drake grinned and thrust harder. "Like this?"
"Exactly."Her eyes fluttered closed, thick lashes resting on delicate cheekbones. At any given moment, Penny made his chest ache with want, but turned inward, focusing on his Awen and creating her orgasm, she was otherworldly – Fae-like. There was something magickal, sparking a part of him he couldn't put to words. Her hair splayed across the pillows, arms pinned above her head, the sight of her fanned a fire burning for centuries.
He could feel her inner muscles milking him, edging him ever closer. "Do you feel it, Penny girl?Feel my Awen?That urge to create?"
Penny nodded, chewing on her lip. "It's – I – Oh God."Her legs shook, ankles unlocking from behind his neck.
He snaked his right hand down to where they were joined, rubbing quick circles on her clit. Her back arched off the bed, legs clamped over his shoulders and she cried out wordlessly.
Her creation slammed into him, like a fist to his gut. It fueled him, turned the key and left his motor running full throttle. He doubled his pace, hips snapping and fell over the edge, coming with a shout. His vision blurred when he felt Penny follow him, her body clamping down on him. Her voice rang in his ears, a long string of unintelligible sounds.
He collapsed on top of her, exhausted and spent. "I think a nap is in order."
Penny nodded.
He shifted to the side and wrapped her in his arms. Her head fit just beneath his chin, as though they were made to be together.
"Perfect," she sighed.
CHAPTER 5
The pale winter morning sun broke through the single uncurtained window in Penny's room. Drake grunted and shielded his eyes with his free arm. Penny snuggled into his side further, burying her face in his shoulder. "Morning Penny girl."
"No." She burrowed beneath the covers. "S'too early."
"How about you sleep and I'll make breakfast?Or, as long as you're down there..."Her laughter shook him and she emerged from her hideaway.
"No. Let's go see Gramma. She can make us breakfast."She pulled the covers down to her chin. "But let's take our time getting out of bed."
Drake did take his time, drawing out the morning until the clock ticked past twelve. They shrugged into their warm clothes, girding themselves against winter, and made the short trek to Lisa's overnight home.
Traffic had thinned, the post-church group already off the roads, safe at home. Penny shifted into fifth gear and Drake laced his fingers with her shifting hand. The corner of her mouth quirked up in a smile.
Her human life was already a third over and sixty years was not enough to spend with her. The only option that left was something Drake had never seen or done himself – something he didn't have enough knowledge of, for once, leaving him at a disadvantage.
Forever was a foreign concept to humans. Something they couldn't truly understand, beyond the scope of their imagination. After 400 years, Drake had done everything and seen everything – except his Other. Penny had turned that upside down.
Penny joining him for forever was something that, as much as she may want to, or think that she did, she couldn't quite grasp.
By the time he and Penny pulled up to the diner, dinner the previous night was a distant memory. Drake's stomach grumbled loudly as they walked in the door, the smell of bacon and hash browns permeating the air. "Morning, Gramma."He waved at the old woman while Penny slid into the booth in the corner. The ancient red vinyl felt strangely welcoming.
"Food'll be out in five."Gramma winked and waved as she disappeared into the kitchen.
Drake sat opposite Penny, facing the door – as always. The diner was empty save for a pair of gentlemen at the counter who looked as though they might be as old as Drake.
"So, we've got a couple of issues here."Penny's brow creased, hands folded together on the tabletop. "We should probably figure out what we're doing."
"Doing as in?"
"As in forever. The two biggest issues I see are really the same thing: my mortality and my humanity. Is that a word?Human-ness?"She drummed her nails on the Formica tabletop. "Humanicity? Species. That works."
"How much do you know about my kind?"If there was a time for Penny to bail, it was now, when all his secrets were spilled like blood on a battlefield. Once she knew everything, secondguessing was inevitable.
She blinked. "I know that you're my Other. And honestly, that's all that really matters."
An Other had to be Sidhe – that was the way it worked. But a human with Sidhe blood wasn't entirely human, and that was an issue which needed to be addressed. So long as Penny was agreeable.
"We'll start at the beginning – stop me if this sounds too familiar. Sidhe are, as you said, a separate species. We've been around since the beginning of time. Each Sidhe soul has a perfect match–"
"Their Other."Penny smiled. Need poured off her.
He dialed back his Awen.
"Right. Their Other. I've never heard of an Other being human. It's not supposed to be possible. I think your heritage makes you the exception to the rule. You aren't really human, after all, more of a little mutt."He drummed his fingers on the table, leg bouncing endlessly. "You don't have any Shifter in you, do you?"
"No," she laughed. "Would it matter if I did?"
"Shifters and Sidhe are natural enemies."He waggled his eyebrows. "It would make sex interesting."
Gramma dropped two plates of food onto the table and sat next to Penny. "Have you told her yet?"Dark eyes bored into Drake. She slid two wrapped sets of silverware out of the pocket of her apron, pushed the ketchup to Drake.
"That's what we're doing now."He raised an eyebrow at Penny, silently questioning the old woman's presence.
"Told me what?"Her eyes narrowed and then she shrugged. "I'm just gonna tell Gramma anyway. Go 'head."
"There is a ritual that will let us be together indefinitely – Leth Dhiom Thu. It allows me to share my immortality. We both get a half-life of sorts."
"So I'd be taking away half of your life." Her head cocked to the side and she laughed mirthlessly. "Not happening."
"Half of eternity is still eternity."Her hand on his ceased his restless leg and fingers.
Her brow furrowed. "I don't get it then
, what do you mean by 'half-life'?"
"Maybe half-life isn't the best way to describe it. 'Share a life' is probably closer. It's a binding ritual. My immortality is bound to my soul. We'll share a soul, emotions, thoughts…"He trailed off. Nothing had scared her yet, but everyone had a breaking point. An eternity of someone else invading your thoughts and feelings was enough to put off anyone.
Penny sat back in the booth. "So, you'd be able to read my mind?"
"And you mine."
"That's intense."
"It is."Silence dropped over them like a veil. The sticky vinyl booth and scuffed linoleum couldn't provide enough distraction as he tried to give her space to mull over his words.
Several long moments later, Drake found his voice. "If you need some time to think–"
"No. No, I know what I want."The corner of her mouth lifted in a smile. "I want you, for as long as you'll have me, in whatever form that takes. In whatever form I take."
Gramma scoffed. "What is this, a movie?Cheesy line, Penny." She pressed her palms to the cracked laminate tabletop and pushed herself out of the booth. "Let's have us a Leth Dhiom Thu, shall we?" She winked and disappeared into the kitchen.
Drake laughed, watched Gramma leave. "Shall we?" He extended a hand to Penny and pulled her out of the booth and out the door, yelling their goodbyes behind them.
"Call me!" Gramma yelled after them.
* * * *
Two days later, the sun sank slowly in the late March sky, on its way to disappearing behind the towering Minneapolis skyline. Drake heaved a deep breath and stepped through the front door to Penny's studio, duffel bags slung over his shoulder. The space was empty, as soon as the other artists heard of the impending fumigation, they'd shown up to gather gear and find temporary studio space. He toed off his shoes beside the door and walked slowly to the middle of the room.
He'd spent forty-eight hours preparing – ended his contract with Iron Vengeance and arranged for Gramma to attend the Leth Dhiom Thu. Just gathering the things he needed for the ritual itself had taken a full day.
Penny's feet fell heavily on the loft floor, focusing Drake's attention on the task at hand. He lifted the first duffel, rummaging inside until his fingers closed over the worn tartan inside. His grandfather's plaid had faded over the centuries, but would serve its purpose well.
The once bright sapphire and ruby hues had faded into gray blue and brick red, the black softened into charcoal. His grandfather's kilt pin still adorned one corner.
He spread it over the center of the floor and knelt on it, carefully emptying the bag of its treasures. A pair of heavy, bejeweled chalices, worn and dulled with age came out, set carefully to his right. The fading sunlight glinted off the muted bronze vessels.
Fishing in the bag again, his fingertips brushed against the stiff leather of his knife sheath. He pulled out his sgiandubh and slid it reverently from its case. Glyphs covered the short, slim blade. The years of use only added to its magick. A thrill of anticipation rolled through him as he handled the lethal looking knife, sliding his thumb over the blade, testing its edge. He laid it beside his knee, fingering the ancient black hilt carefully.
He pulled a bag of candles and a pack of matches from the bag and set them beside the knife. Finally, he retrieved two lengths of thin, blackleather ribbon. He carefully wound the ribbon into separate piles, setting them beside the chalices. Climbing to his feet, he stretched, popping his back and scrutinized his pile of necessities.
Satisfied that he had everything he needed, Drake opened the second bag and upended it onto the bare floor. He gave the bag a shake, evicting the last of its contents. Dropping the bag beside the pile, he shucked his jeans and briefs. He stripped off his tee shirt and socks before deftly wrapping his kilt around his waist, and fastening the three small brass buckles on his right. He layered on his belt and sporran and shoved his dirty clothes back into the duffel.
He carried the bags back outside, tossing them in the trunk. With a glance at the sky, he slammed the trunk closed and locked the car behind him. Back inside the warehouse, the waning light gave the room an ethereal glow. Drake took advantage of the last of the daylight by arranging the candles in rings around the plaid – one each for the Summer court, Winter court and the High court. Right to left, he lit them, starting with the inner circle for the High court and ending with the outer circle for Winter.
Stepping over the low flame, he gave the setup a final once over. His sgiandubh looked forlorn on the ground, but with no kilt hose, he had no place to wear it.
And the ceremony dictated bare feet.
Barechested and shoeless, he took the staircase two steps at a time, pausing at Penny's loft door. He raised a fist, knocked twice and rocked back on his heels, waiting impatiently for the door to swing open. He stared, unblinking, at the door and when that didn't work, he looked everywhere else – the floor, the ceiling, the wall beside the door. Several long minutes later he heard the telltale click of the knob turning. Finally giving in to the intense need to look, his heart stuttered in his chest.
Penny stood in the doorway wrapped in a simple, white sleeveless robe. Her hair hung loose, waving over her shoulders. Her face was bare of makeup, fingers empty of jewelry. He held out a hand to her, "Milady, you look ethereal."
Her cheeks flushed at his words. "I don't even have on moisturizer – I didn't know if it counted as 'adornments'."
"I have never seen you look so beautiful."He tucked her arm under his and together they descended the stairs. The candles flickered in their circles and candlelight danced on the walls. Gramma appeared from the shadows and greeted them with a nod. Drake was immediately thankful, for both her punctuality, and her ability to make a quiet entrance.
He paused outside Winter's ring of candles.
"Drake Ioan McCullough, fifth order of Leanan Sidhe, you appear before Winter to ask its blessing in the Leth Dhiom Thu of Penelope Anne Garrett, do you not?" Gramma spoke low and reverent.
"If Winter should adorn her with its kiss."His stomach twisted as he waited for permission to cross the first threshold.
Gramma nodded and Drake helped Penny step over the first ring of candles. Cold gripped Drake's hand where it met hers. Frost crept up Penny's hand, carving intricate patterns onto her delicate skin. It covered her arm, crept across her shoulders, up her neck and down the other arm. It disappeared down the wrapped front of her robe.
Penny's mouth dropped open as she watched it spread. Her lips turned blue as Winter's lace crawled over her visage. The color faded from her skin, bleeding it to paper white – snow white.
Gramma continued, "Drake Ioan McCullough, fifth order of Leanan Sidhe, you appear before Summer to ask its blessing in the Leth Dhiom Thu of Penelope Anne Garrett, do you not?"
"If Summer should greet her with its embrace."
When Gramma gave her approval, they entered the second ring of candles. The frost evaporated from Penny as quickly as it had appeared, clear skin chasing away the delicate white trails. Her cheeks flushed and a radiant smile spread across her face. The heat radiated off Penny, warming his bare skin.
"Drake Ioan McCullough, fifth order of Leanan Sidhe, you appear before the High Court to ask its blessing in the Leth Dhiom Thu of Penelope Anne Garrett, do you not?"
"If the High Court should bless her with its favor."
Drake felt Penny tremble as they stepped over the final circle of candles, waiting, as he was, for the High Court to deny her. A warm breeze washed over his toes. He glanced at Penny as the wind lapped at his skin, moving ever higher.
Possessed by the High court's favor, Penny's hair took flight, standing on end.
Reflexively, his hand twitched, as if to drop hers, but he held the connection as the wind grew fierce, swirling Penny's hair around her face and tugging the robe from her shoulders. She gripped her robe tightly at the collar with her right hand. Her eyes were shut tightly, jaw clenched.
Drake squeezed her hand. All at once the wind died.
>
Penny relaxed and opened her eyes.
"Kneel, Child," Gramma pointed a withered hand toward the center of the plaid. With a light tug on her hand, Drake led Penny into place and knelt before her, finally releasing her hand.
Penny mirrored him, shuffling forward so their knees touched. She smiled softly, eyes full of hope.
"Drake, with your blade, cut Penelope's hand, across the lines of love and life, so that her blood may mingle with your immortal force.
He clutched the sgian dubh tightly in his right hand and brought the tip against Penny's palm. Her hand was steady, eyes unblinking.
He quickly slashed her palm, from thumb to pinky, opening the wound that would seal them together.
She tipped her hand so the blood flowed down the cut and into the waiting goblet. While Penny watched the goblet fill, he made the second cut.
He handed her his sgian dubh and held up his hands, palm out. He knew the pain of gripping the knife hilt was immense, but Penny showed nothing on her face. The searing flash of pain in his palm ended in seconds. He held Penny's eyes as she moved to the second hand.
She was strong, so strong, unflinching even as his heart rent into pieces at the uncertainty. Determination blazed in her eyes as the blade sunk in. A flick of her wrist and the blood trickled down his hand, pooling in the goblet.
Gramma pulled the strips of leather from her pocket and Drake assumed the position, hands up, palms out. Penny mimicked him, lining up their cut hands and threading their fingers together. Gramma deftly bound them left hand to right and pulled the goblets of blood from beneath them.
She poured one into the other, swirling the contents together. Drake watched from the corner of his eye as she drew a match across the sandpaper box and dropped the flame into the goblet. Blue flames erupted from the cup. Over smoke and flames, Gramma chanted, "Fire and Ice and Blessings, with honor and humility. He is human by half; she joins the ranks of Sidhe."
The flames died in an instant and Grandma dipped her finger in the liquid. She repeated her chant as she painted on his back – the symbol for the High court – and the soles of his feet – the symbols of Summer and Winter. She walked around the plaid and knelt behind Penny, painting Summer and Winter on the soles of her bare feet. Because she was human, she couldn't be blessed with the symbol of the High court.
